Emily the Victim: An Analysis of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” In Willian Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” the protagonist, Emily Grierson, is an estranged townswoman who was previously survived by her family and was a pariah in her suburb, who has passed away. The story follows with Emily’s odd and pity-inducing behavior being broadcasted and ends with her funeral. Upon exploring he house, the townspeople find a local laborer, Homer Barron, dead in the upstairs bed with a strand of long, gray hair on the pillow next to him, evidence of Emily’s guilt of his homicide. Though murder is an obvious sign of a villain, the presentation of Emily and her upbringing makes it clear that she was a victim led to commit a heinous crime out of desperation …show more content…
However, the nature of the crime paired with the protagonist’s behavior leaves you wondering what psychological trauma Emily must have endured to be able to commit a crime as reprehensible as that. In Staton’s analysis of A Rose for Emily, he claims that the protagonist “feeds of Homer” because “she has taken into herself the violence in [her father] which thwarted her and has reenacted it.” (Literary Theories in Praxis 275). Going back to the image we have of Emily’s father scaring off interested men with a horsewhip while guarding Emily’s white figure, we see this not as simply protective, but oppressive, according to Fang. He claims that Emily’s father is “depriv[ing] Emily of her woman's happiness and isolat[ing] her from the outside world.” (DU). By refusing Emily of any male interaction, her father is creating an irreparable disconnect when forming natural, normal attachments and friendships within Emily as well as creating insecurities and self-confidence issues within her, making her believe that it’s not any man that’s not good enough, but Emily who is not good
Emily was drove crazy by others expectations, and her loneliness. ““A Rose for Emily,” a story of love and obsession, love, and death, is undoubtedly the most famous one among Faulkner’s more than one hundred short stories. It tells of a tragedy of a screwy southern lady Emily Grierson who is driven from stem to stern by the worldly tradition and desires to possess her lover by poisoning him and keeping his corpse in her isolated house.” (Yang, A Road to Destruction and Self Destruction: The Same Fate of Emily and Elly, Proquest) When she was young her father chased away any would be suitors. He was convinced no one was good enough for her. Emily ended up unmarried. She had come to depend on her father. When he finally died, ...
In Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily,” Emily is a very secretive, isolated woman. At one point Emily was exceptionally strange and mysterious. Binder states, “When Emily’s father dies, the physical presence of his influence dies with him, but the effects of his actions remain to wreak havoc on Emily’s future” (2.) In her childhood,
\Miss Emily Grierson, the main character in Williams Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” removes herself from society and becomes a total recluse, refuses to progress with the passing of time, murders her lover, but continues to sleep with his corpse until her dying day. The behavior presented in Emily is a sign of mental illness. Throughout the story, Emily’s mental instability becomes apparent through her character. The house that she was raised in and died in, and the love she had for dead bodies lead to her mental illness eventually causing her death.
In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” the main character named Emily is a women of high status and is the gossip of the town. Emily was thirty and remained unmarried. Soon she found a Northern man named Homer Baron and was spending most of her time with him until the town didn’t see him after he stepped foot into the house of Emily. The narrator/detective revealed at the end a very disturbing attribute about what was held in Emily’s house. However, William Faulkner’s idea of a detective story is far from becoming visible as the traditions make it stand. Based on William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” he used a unique style to re-create detective genres that clearly made him an extraordinary writer
Emily was not what you would call the average murderer. She was strange however, after her own death (which is known to reader in the very first line of the story) the townspeople described her as '…a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town';(73). When her father died she would not let them take the body for three days, now that's pretty strange. The people in town at the time didn't think she was crazy, they explained her actions like this, 'We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will.'; (75) Here is the first indicator that her motives for killing her only love Homer Baron are founded on an emotional type of basis. Her father believed that no one was ever good enough for his daughter, and because she never got close to anyone she didn't know how to let go either, she never experienced that kind of love you get when you meet ...
“A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner takes us back in time with his Gothic short story known as, “A Rose for Emily.” Almost every sentence gives a new piece of evidence to lead the reader to the overall theme of death, isolation, and trying to maintain traditions. The reader can conclude the theme through William Faulkner’s use of literary devices such as his choice of characters, the setting, the diction, the tone, and the plot line. William Faulkner introduces us to a number of characters but the most involved being Emily Grierson, Homer Barron, Tobe, and the ladies of the town; who are not named individually. Emily Grierson was once a beautiful and wealthy upper class young women who lived with her father, who has since died, on the towns,
The story is clearly an illustration of the passing of the old to the new, and of the real character of human nature - decadence. The townspeople had an equal share in the crime that Miss Emily committed, and they were instrumental in its cover-up. She is described as "dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse." (85) This description sums up the people's outlook of both her, and themselves in their willingness to embrace her. Even today the fetters of certain types of ignorance and other forms of evil acts are on view anywhere in the country if one looks. A Rose for Emily illustrates it in its purest form in its own time.
William Faulkner's short story, "A Rose for Emily" is often held as a literary classic due to Faulkner?s ability to play with our mind and emotions almost to the point of frustration. However, there is much more than mind games that Faulkner plays that makes this story great. Emily Grierson, the main character, is a strong-willed stubborn old bitty, who was quite odd, this alone is a reason for greatness. To fully understand why Emily is the way that she is one must look past the obvious and truly look at Emily. Emily Grierson has a mental condition that is just itching to be discovered.
In “A Rose for Emily” Miss Emily Grierson faces the struggle of living a life in the shadow of her father. The earliest is instance is alluded on page 120, where she is a figure in the background with father “in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip.” While this story is set in the time of horse and buggy, his domineering image and the whip bring to mind a girl who was under constant threat of a beating. Her father also isolated her by chasing off any suitors as not being good enough for her (Faulkner, 123). Her father had a fallout with family over her great aunt’s estate so she is left her isolated from her any of her kin (Faulkner, 125). When her father dies it is his death seems to be the stress that pushes her over the edge. For three days she denied to those that came to offer their condolences that he was dead before she finally broke down (Faulkner, 124). For whatever the reason she falls in love for a foreman named Homer Barron who comes to town to pave the sidewalks. They are seen together and she buys him ...
As a child, Emily was unable make friends or even play outside because her father held his family to a much higher standard than other townspeople “The Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were” (Faulkner 36). Emily’s father, selfishly held Emily back from living, loving, and freedom. She was unable to find a soul mate because her father believed that “None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such” (Faulkner 36). Because of this, Emily stuck close to the only man she’s ever known like a newborn to its mother. Emily and her father had such a close bond that when he died, for days she refused to believe he was dead, and she also refused to let the townspeople dispose of the body. For the townspeople, Emily’s reaction to her father’s death was quite normal, but for readers it was our first glimpse at her necrophilia.
By using strong characterization and dramatic imagery, William Faulkner introduces us to Miss Emily Grierson in “A Rose for Emily”. The product of a well-established, but now fallen family, Emily plays common role found in literature- a societal outcast, who earns her banishment from society through her eclectic behavior and solitary background. Often living in denial and refusing to engage with others, Emily responds to her exile by spending the remainder of her life as a mysterious recluse that the rest of society is more content to ignore rather than break social customs to confront her. Emily’s role as an outcast mirrors a major theme of the story, that denial is a powerful tool in hiding a secret, however, the truth will eventually emerge. The mystery surrounding Emily’s character and the story’s memorable imagery creates a haunting tale that lingers with the reader.
William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” displays themes of alienation and isolation. Emily Grierson’s own father is found to be the root of many of her problems. Faulkner writes Emily’s character as one who is isolated from the people of her town. Her isolation from society and alienation from love is what ultimately drives her to madness.
In “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner, Emily Geierson is a woman that faces many difficulties throughout her lifetime. Emily Geierson was once a cheerful and bright lady who turned mysterious and dark through a serious of tragic events. The lost of the two men, whom she loved, left Emily devastated and in denial. Faulkner used these difficulties to define Emily’s fascinating character that is revealed throughout the short story. William Faulkner uses characterization in “A Rose for Emily”, to illustrate Miss Emily as a stubborn, overly attached, and introverted woman.
None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such. And in fact we see that her father drove away would be boyfriends with a whip. So he was so protective of his daughter that no one ever got near her, and really her father cut off any hope of her having a future with a husband. Her father is too controlling, perhaps, to let her go. And maybe Emily herself is pretty controlling, because look how she treated people about the taxes, and the smell also.
In the short story “A Rose for Emily” written by William Faulkner, Emily, the protagonist, is shown as someone who’s life is falling apart and brought down by society. Emily in this story could be described as a victim to society and her father. Emily Grierson’s confinement, loss of her father and Homer, and constant criticism caused her, her insanity.